RE: BAL stabilizer in center of TT
Good post by Will and I concur... They may be some improvement with the jacks at a 45 degree angle but the jacks themsleves have some slop in them and that also contributes to movement...
Bottom line - it's a trailer not a house - your probably going to have some movement no matter what you do... However, I will add that I believe the base your on has a lot to do with it... My TT with the 6 stabilizers down on my paver base is rock solid... On a campground base of any type (aside from concrete) there is movement...
And like Will, I think I'll be constructing a home brew set of JT stabilizers this winter...
Les
Home brew set of JTs? Don't want to hijack this thread, but I'd like to hear more about that, Les.
I've seen where some have talked about making these from the truck bed cargo holding poles that Harbor Freight sells, but I'm not quite seeing how they would work very well. Not sure how you'd fashion them to be very easy to lock/unlock...
Will
RE: BAL stabilizer in center of TT
Yep, I did this, and it was/is a HUGE improvement.
Here is a thread where I discussed this with everyone, along with a conclusion/update with pictures showing the finished product.
By using the lower profile BAL C jacks, I was able to mount the mid-ship jacks between the two axles. Really has done a lot to take out the bounce/'slop' of the suspension and tires when parked. I would highly recommend this mod, if you are experiencing too much bounce and movement from the tires/suspension.
As always, though, I've found this is another case where one mod leads to another. Now that we've eliminated all bounce and 'slop' from the suspension, and all fore/aft movement is gone courtesy of the between the wheels chocks we use....Now, the only movement we notice is some side to side movement, mostly at the ends. This is due to the scissor jacks at the 4 corners, they allow a lot of side to side movement. Now, I'm looking at various options for installing stabilizers. (JT strong arms, Steadyfast, or maybe Winfield stabilizers) between the scissor jacks, to stop the side to side movement. Really leaning toward Steadyfast, like the design/concept behind them.
Joe (crappie_fisherman) and I have discussed the 45 degree rotation of scissor jacks quite a bit, that LAdams referenced earlier. While I have no doubt that will improve things in some case, I've pretty well come to the conclusion that for us, there would be little to no improvement in doing that. I think a LOT more can be gained with a set of lock-arms/stabilizers of one form or another. That will be this winter's project. :B
RE: Ford Flex as a TV?
..Only way I'd want an AWD vehicle for slippery roads or off-roading, is if it had a way to 'lock' the transfer case, so you could have TRUE 4 wheel drive. Haven't looked much at AWD systems, but I don't believe many offer that. That, or maybe one of the 'smart' AWD systems, that is able to sense which wheels are slipping, and re-distribute power accordingly.
Without either of those, an AWD vehicle is an absolute waste of money, IMO. You'd actually be better off in a 2WD with a limited slip differential, than just an AWD with open differentials and transfer case. With an AWD like that, if just ONE of your 4 wheels starts slipping, you go nowhere. Very easy to get stuck.
Will
RE: Hensley Arrow Right For Us or Too Complicated?
..Lots of good advice here, only a few things I'll add.
Concerning hitching up a Hensley:
First time or two, yeah, it is a challenge, and takes some getting used to. But, once you get the hang of it, its no harder than a conventional hitch, and actually easier in some ways as already mentioned. Always makes me laugh, how every comment you hear on here about how hard it is to hitch up, almost ALWAYS comes from folks that have never owned a Hensley.
If you use a mirror of some kind on the back, or get a back-up camera like I have....You will be able to hitch up by yourself (no help needed) in a matter of minutes. Using the rear-view monitor, I can literally back the stinger straight in the first time, and can be hitched up in minutes. No WD bars or hitch head to fool with, it all stays in place on the trailer. Bottom line: Don't let any concern about hitching up 'sway' your decision one way or the other. :)
Concerning all the comments about the high cost of this hitch:
Yes, its a lot of $$ to shell out up front. HOWEVER, when you consider that there is such a great used market for these hitches that allows you to get into a used Hensley for a fraction of the cost of new, AND sell yours later for good $$ when/if you move up to something else...Really in the long run, the actual 'outlay' of cash on a Hensley is probably either the same or LESS than what it'd be with a conventional hitch like the Equalizer.
In many cases, yes, a hitch like this can be thought of as overkill and not really necessary. HOWEVER, it may be overkill, but IMO it is NEVER a bad idea or bad investment. Especially when you consider how much more safety/stability it provides, and that it has the 90 day free trial, and that you can usually get a lot of your $$ back out of it when you sell it.
One other note: As already said, if you're considering a Hensley, you should also seriously consider a ProPride 3P hitch as well. ProPride is essentially the same 'converging link' design, and eliminates sway using same principles as the Hensley. The ProPride is designed by the same guy that made the original Hensley (Jim Hensley). But, the ProPride incorporates several little improvements, as well as it comes at a slightly lower price. If I was buying a new hitch today, it'd be a no-brainer, I'd get a ProPride.
As already said, the Pullrite is another one to seriously consider as well, if you don't mind something that installs relatively permanently to your tow vehicle.
RE: Ford Flex as a TV?
..I looked at a few Ford Flex models a few weeks ago, when I was just killing time at the Ford dealer while they did the state inspection on our truck.
I remember thinking, this would be the PERFECT tow vehicle for a large family that wanted to tow a really light trailer or popup. Fairly long wheelbase, low center of gravity...I'd think it'd make a great tow vehicle for what you want. I don't care for its 'boxy' shape, but if you don't mind that, go for it. :)
RE: Whould you buy a new vehicle....
Hmmm, interesting point, and you're right, thats probably why the automakers are fighting so hard to avoid bankruptcy filing.
Would I buy a new vehicle, from a company in bankruptcy? Possibly. However, the fact that the vehicle could very well be left with ZERO warranty support would CERTAINLY play into the decision, price negotiation, etc.
Having that threat of being left with no warranty, like others said, would definitely make me look much closer at the used market as well. You lose sooo much $$ right off the bat when you buy new, and if the warranty may well be junk, thats even less reason to take that initial 'hit' that you do on a new one.
It'd have to be an awfully good deal..
RE: Warranty Question??
Thanks for all the comments. I know what the dealers would say. Yes, it would void it, but I did also check with Magnuson-Moss Act and aftermarket parts are ok.. Dealer here wants $2800.00 to change gears!! An Indy I called can do it for $650.00...
Thanks Again!!
First off, is your truck 4x4 or 4x2?
If its 4x4, make sure the other place you called (the one willing to do it for $650) knows that its 4x4, and that their quote included changing both front and rear axles (gotta do both with 4x4). I'm betting not. Double check that with the dealer as well and what they quoted. HUGE difference in the cost for this mod, depending on whether or not they have to change both axles like is necessary on a 4x4.
I will also agree, that this is an EXCELLENT change to make, for a truck that will tow a lot. I plan to do this to our Excursion also one of these days, and go from 3.73s to 4.30s. Best price I've found is around $1500 (both axles) at a 4x4 specialty shop. Haven't checked with a dealer, but I'm sure they'd want a LOT more than that.
As far as warranty concerns: I think one big question around this is, does GM offer 4.10 gears on your truck/engine, from the factory? If they do (which I'm pretty sure is the case), then you are completely covered. That is, unless whatever shop that does the swap screws it up somehow, and their screw up causes other problems.
Actually, the manufacturer should THANK you for doing this mod, as far as the warranty is concerned, haha. Doing this mod (assuming its done correctly) will actually extend the life of the tranny, and result in possibly *less* warranty cost to them. :)
I say do it, and enjoy. Let us know how it works. :)
RE: Don't let credit card out of your sight!!!!
Something similar to this happened to us a few years ago.
We ate at a really nice, 'swank' restaurant. Idiot here (me) left credit card at the table after paying. Realized what I had done soon as we got home. Called restaurant, they said no problem, we have it (card) right here sitting in a safe place, come pick it up when you can. Well, since restaurant was a good 50 mile drive from home, we didnt go get it right away, planned to pick it up the next weekend. ANOTHER big mistake.
Well, next thing you know, I get a call from the bank, saying somebody is trying to use our card for some very blatant bogus charges. Bank was EXCELLENT in catching this - they saw immediately that these charges were very uncharacteristic of us, called us to verify such. Obviously, we had them cancel the card (and those bogus charges) at that point, and we were not liable for any of it. Police were notified to investigate, 'cause the moron that tried to put $10,000 worth of purchases on our card, was dumb enough to leave their address to ship the stuff. Even though the charges didnt fly, due to the amount and attempt that was made, it was still considered a felony charge, so police were all over it.
Called the restaurant owner to find out wth was going on, and he was practically in tears. That address, was a friend of his sons. Apparently, his 12 year old son had grabbed our card from the desk there at the restaurant, gone home and got together with his friend, and tried to order a bunch of crazy stuff online using the card. Police literally came into the school, carried the two kids off in cuffs, mostly just to scare the s**t out of him (it worked!)
Anyway, we got sooo many apologies, letters, gift cards, free meals, etc. from that restaurant, you wouldn't believe it. We really were not 'hurt' at all financially, just the stress/inconvenience of it. The 'kid' that did this got off pretty light, mostly had to do a bunch of community service, write several apology letters, etc. He definitely learned his lesson, though - police put the fear of the almighty in him, haha.
Having said all that - I will say, we always have, and always will use credit card for nearly everything (and YES, it ALWAYS gets paid off in full at end of each month, no matter what!) Generally speaking, we don't carry hardly any cash, EVER. We can use cards for essentially everything, pretty much every business takes plastic now. In working this way for as long as I can remember, we have NEVER had a problem (except the self-inflicted one described above).
I think the risk of someone stealing cash from you is MUCH greater than the slight risk of something happening with a credit card that you'd actually be held liable for. I can remember two different occasions where DW left her purse out where it got in the wrong hands, and all the perpetrators did was rifle through it looking for cash. They found none, so they took nothing. IMO the less cash you have to carry, the better off you are, really.
But, at the same time, I *will* agree with the OP, that you have to be very careful when using a card. I think its impossible to keep your eyes on it 100% of the time, especially when using it to pay at a restaurant. But, the more you can, the more you limit the risk of having problems.
A more important lesson, that I learned from the experience noted above: If you use a card, make CERTAIN, you don't accidentally leave it behind somewhere, haha!! :)
RE: Wireless rear vision camera for rvs
..Only wireless system I know of, is the VR3 system, sold at Walmart and a few other places. This system will NOT work for what you want, though - its range is limited to 19', and its only intended to be a back-up camera, not a rear view camera (meaning..the camera for it is only intended to be on for a few minutes at a time, not on all the time).
I have one (VR3 back-up camera) on my Ford Excursion as a back-up camera for hitching up, it works perfect for that. However, I would not want to use it for behind the RV (MH or trailer). Just wasn't meant to be used that way.
As already said, you need to look at a wired system, like the many nice ones at rvcams.com. One of these days, I'm going to get serious about a rear view camera system, ditch the VR3 we have now and put in a nice wired system, with a camera at the back of the trailer as well..
RE: Chevy Traverse - top Tow Vehicle
The Traverse and all it's like cousins are FWD-based designs. The AWD package is nothing more than an add-on, same as most FWD-based vehicles with AWD optional. The basic design is very similar to the Chevy Venture (and Equinox) and Pontiac Montana. Sure, there are some differences mostly having to do with automotive technology advances, but basically it's a minivan without the practical advantages of one. The Chevy Traverse is to the Venture as the Honda Pilot is to the Odyssey and the Toyota Highlander is to the Sienna.
All that said, being FWD is not a problem for someone like me (obviously) and I wouldn't discount one as a potentially very good tow vehicle. All I'm saying is that any real utility this new line of vehicles offers was already available to those who knew where to look.
..Well said.
You know, Caddy, whats really funny about this is, I believe it was you that predicted some time ago, when automakers first started making 'cross-over' vehicles, that these vehicles would 'miraculously' have 5,000 lbs towing capacity. Well, did you call that or what? haha! :)
Will
RE: Chevy Traverse - top Tow Vehicle
I've got to agree with Caddy here - I understood perfectly what his point was, and I have to agree. I meant to reply to this thread yesterday, but didn't (and should have).
I think its absolutely hilarious that automakers change the 'label' from mini-van to 'cross-over', lose the slide doors in favor of regular doors, add 5-10 grand of 'markup' to the price, and this makes the vehicle gain nearly 2,000 lbs of towing capacity!? Wow, isn't that amazing?!
This Traverse is just one more prime example of this. And, I hate to admit it, but it really goes a long way to prove that what Caddy and many others have been saying, is indeed true - tow ratings realy are determined more by marketing/profit margin, than by actual capability.
Anyway, all 'ranting' aside.....My brother just bought a Traverse last week, I had been researching it last few days to get an idea of just what it is my brother bought into. Really like that direct injection technology is becoming available in gasser engines, should be a great improvement. My only concern is...This is (I think?) first production model offering DI. I do NOT like being the automaker's 'guinea pig', and would not want to buy one for a few years at least. ESPECIALLY, would I not want to be GM's guinea pig!
That, and for me personally...I just don't see anything these cross-over vehicles offer, that could not be had for a lot less $$ in a minivan of one brand or another. Yeah, the direct injection engine sounds cool, but I'm sure that'll soon be offered in minivans, too.
RE: RV Break-ins
I store mine at home. Problem with that is everyone knows when you're gone.
Yes, but I think 99.9% of the folks out there that have to store their trailer somewhere, if given the choice, would MUCH rather store the RV at home. Its a case where the 'pros' of storing at home (if you can), far, far, FAR outweight the cons of such. We've always kept ours at home, and personally, I would have it no other way. If we could not do such, I doubt seriously if we ever would have got into RV camping.
Everyone knows you're gone when storing at homme? Ahhhh, If thieves watch your house close enough to notice if an RV is gone or not, then they're watching enough they can deduce if you're home or not, regardless. That, and if you occasionally take the RV somewhere for service...Then anyone watching would notice that not *always* can they assume, that no RV in the driveway means nobody home. Sooo, I really don't think that is as much of an issue as some imply.
Back to the original topic: One other alternative to really reduce your risk to RV theft: Take away the incentive for the thief to steal anything in the first place.
Most thieves look for things they can put their hands on quickly, and turn around for cash easily. As a result, they are almost always just looking for cash, jewelry, CDs, DVDs, and high $$ electronic items (DVD players, TVs, video game units, etc). Soooo, just don't have any of those things in your RV, and the thief will leave your RV sorely disappointed, and empty-handed.
Although our trailer stays at home, we still take this approach. There is almost NOTHING in there that most thieves would want. They'd be very disappointed and would leave empty-handed, if they ever tried breaking into our trailer looking for goodies (and thats assuming neither I nor any of our neighbors catch them and REALLY ruin their day ;) ). They might grab a snack or two, but that'd be about it.
RE: GM 8.1L V8 vs. Ford 6.8L V10
The engine is only part of the story....The X is much heavier empty, and has a lower carrying capacity despite it's 9200 GVWR vs. the burb's 8600 GVWR.
Indeed, the Ex is a bit more limited strictly in terms of payload capacity, 'on paper'.
However, when you consider that the Excursion shares exact same axles, brakes, drivetrain, and essentially the same chassis design as an F350 SRW that has significantly higher GVWR, it really makes a strong case to suggest Ford de-rated the Ex considerably. Only real weak point with the Ex compared to the F350 SRW, is the leaf springs. Sooo, beef up the springs (and there are several fairly inexpensive ways to do that), and you have basically a 1 ton truck.
GM's Suburban is not so closely related to the 1 ton trucks like the Excursion is. That would also be why the Ex rides much more 'truck-like' than the Suburban does.
The 8.1 is rated to tow 12,000 lbs with the 4.10 rear, just about all V-10 X's came with a 3.73 rear.
..Yeah, its hard to find a V10 Ex with 4.30 gears. Ford didn't build many with 4.30s. Of course, most 8.1 'Burbs came with the 3.73 also, very hard to find one of them with 4.10s. For that matter, its very, very hard to find 8.1 Burbs at all, V10 Excursions are much easier to find.
Crappie Fisherman swapped his gears to 4.30 and reports greatly increased tow power with his V-10.
Yep, 4.30 gears on the V10 Excursion actually gives it the exact same gross combined weight rating (GCWR) as an 8.1 Burb with 4.30 gearing - 20,000 lbs. However, the Ex is limited to 11,000 lbs max. towing in that case, due to limitations of the OEM receiver (although that can be upgraded to get around this limitation). Ironically, GM's OEM receiver on the Burbs that carries a higher rating is even worse in some ways (but we won't get into that, haha).
Either engine is fine, but you need to look at the whole package including rear axle ratio and ratings before you make a final decision.
Yep. You really need to look at/drive both vehicles and research all the facts of both of them, before making a decision. Either will do fine, it just comes down to personal preferences, best deal that can be made, etc.
Will
RE: New converter
I have almost exact same setup as Barney mentioned earlier - PD9160 amp converter with charge wizard, and 2 Trojan T105 6 volt batteries. I also leave the trailer plugged into A/C year-round. Charge wizard keeps the batteries well charged, without boiling them.
And, I also bought our PD9160 converter from Randy at Best Converter, and will agree with the OP's statements. Randy was great to work with, glad to see he still is. I've had this PD converter for over 2 years now, its been great. Its one of the first upgrades one should do to their electrical system IMHO.
RE: Couldn't resist the 0%
forgive me for asking, but would you mind sharing what they gave you for the durango? Ive been chomping at the bit to buy a new tundra especially with the 0%, about 9 months ago the dealer only offered me $4500 for my 2001 suburban, the blue book value was right around $10000.
Throw away any blue books, black books, or any color books in this market. As a dealer I can tell you that the only 'book' that has any significance whatsoever right now is the dealer's checkbook --- the market on big gas guzzlers is horrible right now (if it exists at all). If they offered you half of bluebook consider yourself lucky. I know dealers that will not even go that far. And, Durango's are notorious for exceptionally poor fuel economy. The earlier 318's and 360's were just gas drinkers, and the marginally more fuel-efficient 4.7 is just proving to be not near as good of an engine as its predecessors.
..Indeed this is true. If you're buying a smaller, fuel efficient car and dumping a gas guzzler, its very tough to get a very good deal right now.
However, if you're trading for a newer 'gas guzzling' truck as is the case here, you can use that exact same logic the dealer used to low-ball your trade (gas guzzler), to make them come WAAAAAY down on the price of the new vehicle, so you basically get that $$ right back. I'm betting thats kinda what was done in this case.
If the market on gas guzzlers truly is horrible and dealers don't want them on their lots...Guess they oughta be more than willing to slash the prices big time on that 5.7 V8 powered Tundra, huh? Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, right? :B
Anyway, congrats on the new truck, sounds cool. :)
RE: GM 8.1L V8 vs. Ford 6.8L V10
Also, newer Ford pickups have the Torqueshift transmission, which has good reviews. I don't believe the vans have the 3valve V10 or the Torqueshift transmission, so they're down on power.
The vans got the TOrqueshift in '04 on diesels, and '05 on the V10s. Not sure when the V10 Excursion got it.
I believe the Ex got the Torqueshift in '03, when Ford started putting the 6.0 (!) diesel in it.
Although, Ford never put the Torqueshift in the Ex with the V10. You had to get the diesel in order to get a torqueshift tranny in the Excursion.
Sure wish they woulda offered the 3V V10 and torqueshift in the '05 Excursions. I might woulda traded up for one of those. :)
RE: GM 8.1L V8 vs. Ford 6.8L V10
As already said, both are great engines, and this subject will always bring up lots of opinions on both sides.
If you're talking '05 or newer pickup, the V10 wins in both the power AND fuel mileage department, but they are very close. Prior to '05, the 8.1 V8 had the power advantage, but the V10 always did slightly better in the fuel mileage department (although they both use a lotta gas, no matter how you slice it, haha). As Engineer said, 'bout 14 is best you can expect from an 8.1 powered truck. V10 will get 'bout 16, I can get that pretty easily with our Excursion on long highway trips.
I say, drive each one, go with whichever one YOU like best, that you can get the best deal on. Either one will meet your needs well.
RE: Picking up my 4x4 tomorrow.
Got nothing to do with inflating his ego, he just took you guys right where he wanted to, pure and simple, it was not hard to figure that one out. Carry on I enjoy the banter.
..You're giving him WAAAAY too much credit here.
Personally, I think its absolutely hilarious that the very thing Supercharged has spent years 'trolling' over, and insulting people for owning (4x4)..Now, HE goes out and buys one!!!!
Whats more, he gets a very expensive European model 4x4, at the same time making post after post in other forums bragging about how smart he is about investing money so much more wisely than everybody else.
ROTFLMAO, it just doesn't get any better than this, for showing just how full of it SC really is. :B
Troll on, SC, troll on. Just know that your credibility (what tiny bit you might have had) just took one of the biggest nose-dives of all time with this one. ;)
Will
RE: Question about amp hours and batteries
You've got some great advice so far, not much I can add. Cjalphonso's simple answer sums it up perfectly, doesn't get much better than that.
Indeed, with 2 12 volt 180 AH batteries in parallel, you have 360 amp-hours of power. Which is plenty, I think.
Lights typically don't use much power, I wouldn't worry much about them. However, electric motors (like those used to run fans, water pump, blower in furnace, etc) use a bit more power and will run your batteries down quicker. If you can avoid or at least minimize the use of such things as much as possible, 360 amp hours will last you a very long time.
RE: non slinky type sewer hose
..Instead of having to constantly connect and reconnect fittings to the sewer hose, I think its better to find a way to store the hose, with all fittings staying attached to it. The less I have to touch that hose (and attach/reattach things to it), the better, haha.
Seriously, instead of getting a whole new sewer hose setup, I'd look at finding a way to keep the attachments on the hose all the time, so you don't have to worry about this. Attach them all once, and forget about it. Like I said, the less touching/manipulation you have to do with that hose, the better, when you think about what goes through it. ;)
I built a storage chute for our hose out of 4" PVC pipe on the back bumper. It can fit in there, WITH fittings all on it and in place ready to go. To dump, I just pull the hose out, attach to trailer's dump outlet, drop other end of hose onto dump station inlet, pull the lever and let the 'stuff' go. No need to mess with various fittings, and getting them attached onto the hose. Thats the way to go if you can, IMO.
As an added bonus..I don't have to worry about rust inside a bumper eventually scraping pin-holes in the hose, like is common when you store the hose inside the bumper.
